May 8, 2014 (Washington, DC) – The Southwest Chapter of The ESOP Association was named the 2014 ESOP Chapter of the Year for the second consecutive year by the Association. Additionally, the Chapter was recognized for its commitment to membership recruitment for the third year in a row. The awards were presented at the Association’s 37th Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership.

The Association’s Southwest Chapter experienced all-time highs in meeting attendance in 2013 and Chapter members outdid previous work in fundraising for the Association’s affiliated foundation, the Employee Ownership Foundation, and support of the Association’s government relations efforts. The Chapter of the Year Award recognized the Chapter members’ overall work in spreading the employee ownership message in 2013. Members of the Southwest Chapter also met several targets in the promotion of employee ownership in the Southwest region as well as Chapter membership goals in 2013 earning the Chapter recognition for membership recruitment.

The Southwest Chapter was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for these honors. The Southwest Chapter includes members in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

“For the second year in a row, I’m pleased to present the leaders of the Southwest Chapter, and its members, with the 2014 ESOP Chapter of the Year Award. I’m also proud to recognize the Chapter for its membership recruitment efforts for the third consecutive year,” said ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling. “The Chapter provides excellent programming and value to ESOP Association members in the Southwest region and members worked hard to meet target prospect goals and to promote the cause of employee ownership among ESOP companies in the Chapter.”

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The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership. The core cause of The ESOP Association is the belief that employee ownership will improve American competitiveness, increase productivity through greater employee participation, and strengthen our free enterprise economy. More information: website - www.esopassociation.org and blog – www.esopassociationblog.org.